During the late 1960s, Swami Satchidananda continued to foster the growth of the Integral Yoga Institute in New York, as well as to send students to California to begin the first Integral Yoga centers on the West coast of the USA. He would also continue traveling the world and throughout the USA.
This also was a time when he was beginning what would become his pioneering service in bringing various clergy and spiritual leaders together to promote a vision of world peace through greater interreligious dialogue and understanding. In 1967, Swamiji first met with H. H. the Dalai Lama, which would blossom into a long lasting collaboration. Swamiji also met Rabbi Joseph Gelberman and Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB. Both would become lifelong friends and colleagues in promoting interfaith education and understanding . Together they formed the Center for Spiritual Studies, the Yoga Ecumenical Seminary, and participated in many interfaith retreats and worship services that Swamiji organized. Toward the end of 1967, the first annual “Swami and the Rabbi” dialogue with Rabbi Gelberman was held. This program continued for several decades.
Swearing in for “Minister of Divine Words” resident’s visa.
In 1968, Swamiji was interviewed by LIFE Magazine, and toward the end of that year he was granted an American resident’s visa as a “Minister of Divine Words.” This was the first time such a visa with this designation was granted.
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